Wireless connection drops frequently

The wireless connection (WiFi) between one or more wireless devices (for example a notebook, smartphone, tablet) and the FRITZ!Box drops frequently. In some cases the wireless connection cannot be re-established until you disable and re-enable the wireless network or restart the FRITZ!Box.

One of the following error messages may be displayed in the event log of the FRITZ!Box:

Cause

The quality of the wireless connection is influenced by surrounding structural conditions (for example thickness and reinforcement of the walls), the wireless device being used, and also by other electronic devices in the vicinity such as microwaves, baby monitors, wireless speakers, and Bluetooth devices.

Important:Some of the settings described here are only displayed if the advanced view is enabled in the user interface. The configuration procedure and notes on functions given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS.

Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the issue persists.

2 Installing the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box

3 Installing the latest software for the wireless device

The following step is only necessary if the wireless connection of only one wireless device drops frequently, whereas other wireless devices can establish a stable wireless connection to the FRITZ!Box when used at the same location:

Install the latest driver for your computer's wireless network adapter or the latest operating system (for example Android, iOS) for the wireless device.

Note:You can find information on updating the wireless network adapter or wireless device in its manual, or consult the manufacturer directly.You can find the latest drivers for the FRITZ!WLAN Sticks in our download area.

If your device's wireless connection still continues to drop, there are unfortunately no further settings in your FRITZ!Box that influence the quality of the wireless connection. In such cases, the problem lies with the wireless device. The manufacturer of the wireless device may be able to provide you with information on how to resolve the issue.

4 Removing USB 3.0 devices

Remove all USB 3.0 devices from the FRITZ!Box's USB ports for testing purposes.

5 Setting the maximum transmitter power

If the option "Set radio channel settings automatically (recommended)" is enabled:

Proceed with the following section.

If the option "Adjust radio channel settings" is enabled:

Click "Additional settings".

Select "100%" from the drop-down list "Maximum transmitter power".

Click "Apply" to save the settings.

6 Enabling or refreshing the auto channel

If the auto channel is enabled, the FRITZ!Box checks the wireless environment and automatically selects the optimum wireless channel settings. However, the allocation of the frequency bands can change significantly over the course of the day. The FRITZ!Box does not refresh the auto channel as long as wireless devices are still connected with it. You can therefore manually refresh the auto channel at any time:

Note:All wireless connections to the FRITZ!Box are cleared and then automatically re-established when you enable or refresh the auto channel.

7 Identifying sources of interference

Turn off all devices that could interfere with the wireless network, one after the other.

Note:All devices that emit radio waves are possible sources of interference. These include other wireless devices, wireless speakers, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors or microwaves, for example.

After you have turned off a device, check whether the wireless connection is still impaired.

Once you have identified a device that causes interference, you can either leave it turned off or try to avoid the interference by finding a different location for the device or the FRITZ!Box.

8 Finding the ideal location for wireless devices

If possible, position the FRITZ!Box in a room that is centrally located.

Do not position the FRITZ!Box directly in the corner of a room.

Position the FRITZ!Box so that it is as unobstructed as possible, i.e. not directly in back of or under an obstacle such as pieces of furniture or a heater.

Position the FRITZ!Box as high in the room as possible, for example on a shelf.

Position the FRITZ!Box so that there are as few obstacles as possible between it and the other wireless devices. In particular, metallic objects or objects containing water (for example a refrigerator, houseplants) significantly reduce the quality of the wireless signal.

Position the FRITZ!Box so that it is away from other transmitters (for example microwaves, baby monitors, wireless speakers, Bluetooth devices).

For testing purposes, position the FRITZ!Box and the wireless device as close as possible.

Note:Once you have ruled out all other sources of error, you can increase the distance between the two devices again.

9 Changing the name of the wireless network (SSID)

If there are other wireless networks with the same name in the vicinity, wireless devices may automatically attempt to connect to the wrong wireless network. To avoid this, give your FRITZ!Box a unique name:

In the fields "Name of the wireless radio network (SSID)", enter a unique name for the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz frequency band that does not contain special characters. Since not all wireless devices support all special characters, we recommend using only standard Latin letters (not letters such as ä, ë, ö, ü, á, é, í) and numbers.

Note:We suggest using identical wireless network names for both frequency bands so that the FRITZ!Box can automatically steer individual wireless devices to the most suitable frequency band (band steering).

Now the FRITZ!Box and the wireless device are ideally configured. The wireless connections between your wireless devices and the FRITZ!Box are as stable as possible.

Note:If the previous measures did not succeed in sufficiently increasing the quality of your wireless connection, you can use a FRITZ!WLAN Repeater to extend the range and increase the stability of your wireless network.